Wei Shubin secretly took a horse from home, slipping out through a side gate during the commotion. She galloped westward, but before long, found her path blocked by a large crowd of spectators on the street south of the Imperial City.
It was now the afternoon hour of Wei, with the sun declining westward. Along both sides of the cross street beneath the Imperial City’s towering walls, ceremonial musicians and guards were slowly arranging themselves, apparently preparing for some ceremony. Wei Shubin led her horse on foot through the crowd, half-listening to the discussions around her—several princes were to “formally welcome their consorts” tonight, led by Prince Zhao… Oh?
The conferment and wedding ceremony for the daughter of former Prime Minister Pei Ji was also chosen for today.
Wei Shubin thought for a moment and couldn’t help but laugh wryly. The imperial court unified all calendars for auspicious and inauspicious dates—if her family found today auspicious for engagement, what was strange about the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and Ministry of Rites choosing the same day for the princes’ consort ceremonies? Moreover, Empress Changsun had instructed to complete Li Yuanjing and Miss Pei’s wedding quickly, before the Supreme Emperor’s situation led to mourning. Once the empress spoke, how would officials dare delay?
Very well, the Pei siblings’ wishes were fulfilled, and their kindness in sheltering Li Yuanji hadn’t been in vain… Wei Shubin’s nose stung as she lowered her head, forcing her way through the crowd before mounting her horse again to ride north.
By the time she passed through Fanglin Gate and arrived at Zixu Temple’s main entrance, the sun was setting and dusk was falling. She suddenly noticed a large contingent of ceremonial guards outside the temple gates, their banners and pennants fluttering in the wind, instinctively pulling her horse to a stop. A palace servant quickly approached, demanding, “The Crown Prince and Prince Yue’s carriages are here—who are you?”
Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Prince Li Tai of Yue had come to Zixu Temple together.
Wei Shubin didn’t dare act rashly, dismounting to properly answer, “I am née Wei, a resident cultivator of the temple.” The temple’s eunuch doorkeeper, recognizing her, came out with a fawning smile to explain her identity. Upon hearing she was Minister Wei’s daughter, the palace servant’s expression softened somewhat and stepped aside to let her enter.
She didn’t want to go in. Li Tai was one thing, but thinking of Li Chengqian’s face, always clouded with dark resentment, made Wei Shubin feel inexplicably uncomfortable. Just as she was trying to think of an excuse to hide elsewhere first, it was too late—amid a murmur of voices and footsteps, a group of people emerged.
Surprisingly, Li Tai’s round figure was in front, as if preparing to leave before his elder brother. He bowed farewell at the temple gate, smiling as he said a few more words—Wei Shubin vaguely heard something about “Father ordered me to move to Wude Palace.” Li Chengqian’s face turned ashen as he glared at his full brother in silence, wordlessly watching him leave and board his carriage.
Wei Shubin had already hidden beside the gate and was quietly retreating when, unexpectedly, Li Chengqian’s sharp eyes caught sight of her, calling out:
“Miss Wei, where is the High Priestess?”
“Uh…” Was she not in the temple? Wei Shubin looked up at Jingxuan, the middle-aged Daoist priestess who had come to see the guests off. Seeing her shake her head frantically, Wei Shubin could only answer: “I truly don’t know. I just arrived from home, having entered the gardens…”
They had barely exchanged two sentences when suddenly a yellow flash burst from inside the gate, and with a “whoof,” the pungent smell of the leopard Atun preceded it as it pounced on Wei Shubin affectionately. Having lived at the temple for so long, she was well acquainted with the leopard, and habitually embraced it, patting its furry head and ears, scratching under its chin while firmly holding it still—otherwise, if it caused another “leopard attacks the heir apparent” assassination crisis, things would become even more chaotic.
Seeing that she truly seemed not to know Chai Yuluo’s whereabouts, Li Chengqian ignored her and strode toward his carriage, his purple robe and jade belt flashing. The Daoist priestess Jingxuan hurried alongside, smiling apologetically while explaining that “the High Priestess truly left no message.” Without waiting for her to finish, Li Chengqian waved his sleeve dismissively and mounted his horse. The grand procession of ceremonial guards followed behind him as they departed, winding westward.
Such arrogant and discourteous behavior was truly characteristic of their Li family men…
Wei Shubin released the leopard with a bitter smile and straightened up, brushing the dust from her skirt. Jingxuan came to support her, chattering, “Miss Wei, wasn’t your engagement ceremony today? Why have you returned?” Instead of answering, Wei Shubin asked: “Why did the Crown Prince and Prince Yue suddenly come? And where has the High Priestess gone?”
“Prince Yue came first, saying he had some matters to discuss with Lady Chai. Shortly after he entered, the Crown Prince arrived in pursuit. Both brothers were heading to Da’an Palace and passed by Zixu Temple—the Crown Prince still needs to bestow the Emperor’s blessings on the princes’ weddings. As for our Abbess…” Jingxuan hesitated, bringing her mouth close to Wei Shubin’s ear, “She’s still in the temple, just unwilling to see the brothers. She had me tell them she’d left in the morning.”
“Where is she?” Wei Shubin also lowered her voice. It wasn’t surprising that Chai Yuluo was unwilling to see the Crown Prince brothers. Previously, the Eastern Palace had sent trusted guards several times saying the Crown Prince or Crown Princess requested the High Priestess’s presence for a conversation, but Chai Yuluo had found ways to refuse them all. The Prince of Yue’s mansion hadn’t sent as many people, but Chai Yuluo had rejected them all the same.
What exactly were these two full-blooded imperial sons up to…
Jingxuan led Wei Shubin to the alchemy chamber in the northwest corner of Zixu Temple. Daoist alchemy had many strict requirements—not only were the directions, timing, and ingredients regulated, but it was said that even the birth dates and eight characters of the serving maids had to be calculated to avoid any conflicts. Despite living at Zixu Temple for so long, Wei Shubin had never entered the alchemy courtyard before.
Today, as she and Jingxuan walked past the main courtyard’s Three Pure One’s Hall and Four Sovereigns Palace, turning behind the pond toward the mountain, just as they approached the alchemy courtyard gate, they suddenly heard a woman’s cry from inside:
“…I’ll never dare again… ah ah… please spare this servant…”
Both were startled, and Wei Shubin, disregarding propriety, quickened her pace through the gate. She saw a young maid rolling on the ground while a strong woman wielded a switch, already beginning to strike. The alchemy chamber was largely a cave dug into the hillside, with tile eaves and earthen walls built outside. Chai Yuluo, dressed in Daoist robes, sat under the eaves by the doorway, her face ashen.
Seeing the maid being beaten in the courtyard, Jingxuan hurried forward to kneel and beg for mercy. Though Wei Shubin didn’t understand the situation, the scene was too pitiful to bear, and she also stepped forward to plead. Chai Yuluo pointed at the maid and said angrily:
“This worthless servant only knows how to indulge in food and sleep! She dared to doze off while watching the fire by the furnace, missing the proper time—the fire in the crucible went out with the wrong color ratio, ruining the entire batch! I stayed up for seven days and seven nights, all those materials—purple quartz, pure stalactite—it took years to gather the ingredients for the ‘Chen Jin Liu Hui Dan.’ Now it’s all destroyed! Taking her worthless life wouldn’t be enough compensation!”
So Chai Yuluo had hidden in the alchemy chamber to avoid the Li brothers… Wei Shubin glanced at the large door behind her, seeing only darkness inside and detecting a burnt smell of smoke and fire. Looking more carefully, she could make out the shadowy outline of a large three-legged cauldron in the faint light from several fire doors in the cave, emanating an air of mystery.
The maid’s cries grew more piteous. Wei Shubin advised: “It’s understandable that you’re angry, Yuluo, having years of effort destroyed in an instant, but what good would beat this lazy maid to death do? Alchemy, after all, depends on fortune and destiny. My father once practiced alchemy and told me that heaven’s ways are mysterious and unfathomable to mortals—not even one in ten attempts at refining mercury succeeds. When opening the crucible, as long as one hasn’t harmed oneself, it can be considered a moderate achievement. Though this batch of elixir wasn’t completed, you’ve accumulated merit, and great opportunities will surely come in the future.”
Hearing her speak so irrelevantly, Chai Yuluo couldn’t help but laugh “Pff,” then sighed:
“Silly girl, you think I’m trying to become an immortal through alchemy? Though the ‘Chen Jin Liu Hui Dan’ bears the name of an elixir, it’s a woman’s tonic. Besides frost essence and mysterious spirits, it uses white salt and date paste as its base, and regular consumption best strengthens the body’s vital energy. Two days ago, I already reported to the Empress that when this batch was complete, I would bring it as tribute. Now look—with empty hands, what am I to present at Zhengzheng Palace!”